No Mercy Preview – Slater’s Got Kids, Man!

SmackDown Live’s second exclusive pay-per-view, No Mercy, is set to go down this Sunday, and the blue brand is looking to finally smash its reputation as WWE’s “B” show. The weekly program has done a terrific job of building this weekend’s storylines, and every title is up for grabs, including the most prestigious prize in pro wrestling. For some the stakes are even higher championship gold, but will the matches be able to deliver?

Tune in to find out October 9th at 8PM Eastern on the WWE Network.

The Usos vs. Rhyno and Heath Slater for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship

The Story: The forgotten draft pick, Heath Slater spent weeks on Raw and SmackDown trying to secure a contract with one of the brands, going so far as issuing an in-ring challenge to Brock Lesnar. The persistence paid off when he teamed with ECW legend Rhyno to capture SmackDown’s Tag Team Championship and with it, a SmackDown contract.

But following a loss to American Alpha, the Usos developed a new attitude and a vicious in-ring style, destroying their opponents limbs in brutal matches. They’ve been wrecking the entire division since moving to dirty tactics, and they’ve already made Slater tap out once before. The leg injury is likely to linger going into Sunday’s match, potentially costing him the title, his double-wide, and his above-ground pool. His 32 kids will be very disappointed.

The Prediction: Heath Slater’s underdog story and his odd-couple dynamic with Rhyno has been a lot of fun, but nobody expected their run to be a long one. The Usos are being built up as the top heels in SmackDown’s tag division, and a violent victory over an unlikely fan favorite like Slater would cement them as truly hateable villains. The real question isn’t whether Slater and Rhyno lose, but whether or not the big man turns on Heath with a trademark Gore.